Automobile lift



E. B. THOMPSON 2,100,617

AUTOMOBILE LIFT Nqv. 30, 1937.

Filed Dec. 28, 1956 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE LIFTElmer Bl Thompson, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor.

to Globe Machinery & Supply Company/Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation ofIowa Application December 2s, 1936,ser1a1'N0.117,6s0

1 Claim.

My invention is specially designed for use in automobile repair shops orplaces in which it is desirable to have the entire lift normallycontained beneath the floor surface and covered to permit the free andunobstructed use of the floor and yet ready for immediate use as anautomobile lift'.

My Objectis to provide a lift of this character of simple andinexpensive construction and a minimum of working parts, and in whichthe floor openings are automatically closed when the lift is lowered andthe floor forming portions of the lift automatically moved to positionswhere they will not be in the way of an operator when the lift islowered.

A further object is to provide a lift of this class adapted for use withautomobiles of different wheel bases without adjusting any parts of thelift and in which the use of rear axle supporting jacks is renderedunnecessary.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows a perspective view of myimproved lift mounted beneath the door surface shown in its elevatedposition.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the rear transverse beamand floor plate, with the oor plate in position flush with the adjacentfloor surface.

Figure 3 shows a detail plan view illustrating the guide device forholding the floor platein position relative to the rear axle supportingmember.

Referring to the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeralI to indicate a hy- J draulic automobile lift cylinder of the kind ingeneral use. I have referred to this cylinder in general terms as alifting member but do not desire to be understood as limiting myinvention to the specific kind of lifting member employed.

Fixed to the top of the cylinder I0 is a front axle supporting themember Ilwhich may, if desired, be provided near its end with raisedaxle engaging ribs I2 slightly spaced above the body of the beam. Thisautomobile lifting member is mounted in a pit I3 formed in the floorsurface I4, and the opening at the top of the pit is of such size andshape that when the front axle engaging member is at its lower limit ofmovement lt will be substantially flush with the top v of the door Illto thereby form a floor member. At the sides of the pit I4 I preferablyprovide two automobile wheel receiving depressions I5 which are sopositioned relative to the pit I3 that when the front wheels of anautomobile are positioned in said pits the front axle will be properlyspaced above the front axle engaging beam.

At the rear of the pit I3 there is a second pit I6, and in this pitthere is mounted a hydraulic cylinder I'I or other automobile liftingmember. At the top of the lifting member I1 is'a transverse beam I8, andon the end portions of the transverse beam I8 are two longitudinallyarranged channel bars I9 forming rear axle engage ing members, the topsurfaces of which are relatively broad and flat to form floor members,and said top surfaces are spaced apart from the transverse beam I8 farenough so that when a rear axle is engaged by the bars I9, thedifferential housing of the rear axle will be spaced above thetransverse beam I8. The lengthof the bars I9 is such that, when a frontaxle of an automobile is supported on the front axle engaging member,then the rear axle will be engaged by the bars I9, regardless of' thelength of the automobile between axles, that is to say, of the variousstandard sizes of automobiles in common use. By this arrangement it'isunnecessary to employ jacks for the rear axle engaging beams, such asare commonly employed, to hold the rear axle far enough above theremainder of the structure so that 'the differential housing will not beengaged by the structure.

Fixed to the inner faces of the beams I9 are the guide members 20, andresting on top of the transverse beam I8 is a oor member 2|v havingnotches in its ends to receive the guides 20.

In the oor, at the edges of the pit I6 I have formed shoulders at 22,and at the ends of the pit I6 there are pit members 23 of approximatelythe sizes and shapes of the beams I8 so that when the beams are lowered,the top surfaces of the beams will form floor members flush with thefloor, and when the lift is being lowered, the front and rear edges ofthe fioorplate, 2i will engage the shoulders 22 and thereby hold thefloor member 2| from downward movement below the oor surface during thetime when the lift is being. lowered to position with the upper surfacesof the beam I 9 flush with the floor. Whenthe lift'is fully lowered, thefloor plate 2l and the upper surfaces of the beams I9 are allsubstantially flush with the floor surface and completely close the pit,and this-makes it unnecessary .to employ any manually operable doors orfloor members for the rear pit.

In the drawing I have illustrated two control valves 24 for controllingthe admission of fluid yunder pressure to the lifting cylinders.

In order to prevent the rotation of the cylinders I0 and I1 whenelevated I preferably provide aguy rod 25 xed to the beam on top of thecylinder and having its lower end movable up and down through an openingin the pit.

In practical operation and when both of the cylindersare in theirlowered positions, the entire floor surface is covered and closed andusable as a shop without interfering with the use of the floor for suchpurpose. Whenit is desired to lift an automobile the front wheels arerun into the depressions I6 and then the valves 24 are operated tosimultaneously raise the hydraulic cylinder. The upper surfaces of thebeams I9 move upwardly past the oor plate 2|, which remains stationaryuntil the beams i9 have engaged the rear axle of the automobile, andwhen this occurs the differential housing oi' the rear axle is supportedabove the oor plate 2l.

With my improved jack, when in an elevated position, the operator hasfree access to practically all of the under surface of an automobile andthe automobile is firmly and securely supported in its elevatedposition.

IA claim as my invention:

vIn an automobile lift, the combination of .a lifting member, atransverse beam mounted thereon, v two automobile axleengaging beamsiixed tothe transverse beam and arranged longitudinally/and havingywide, ilat upper surfaces to serve as iioor members when in a loweredposition. a iloor'plate mounted upon said transverse beam and extendingfrom one or said axle engaging beams to the other andV movablevertically relative to the transverse beam, said plate being formed withvertical notches in its ends. vertical ribs on the inner side of saidaxle engaging beams to enter said notches for guiding the oor plate inits vertical movement, portions of said tloor plate being projectedlaterally beyond the transverse beam, and a iloor formed with openingsto receive the beams with the top surfaces of the axle engaging beamsilush with the top of the floor,

